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Health Officer Order Modified to Require Vaccine Verification at Select High-Risk Settings

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The Los Angeles County Health Officer Order was modified to require vaccination verification or a negative test prior to entry to all mega events and event venues by October 7; children under 12 years of age are exempt.

The requirement for vaccine verification or a negative test within 72 hours prior to attending an outdoor mega event aligns with the recently announced national strategy and includes venues and events with more than 10,000 attendees that are ticketed and/or have controlled points of entry to a well-defined area, such as sport and music arenas and theme parks.

This is similar to the requirement for vaccination verification or a negative test prior to entry at all indoor events and arenas with more than 1,000 participants; this requirement has been in place since August 18. Many mega event venues established verification systems during the spring in response to previous capacity restrictions and Public Health will offer large venues and organizers of mega events technical assistance to assist with implementation.

The Health Officer Order also requires vaccination verification for customers and employees at indoor portions of bars, lounges, nightclubs, breweries, wineries, and distilleries.

The requirement for vaccine verification for customers in the indoor portions of bars, wineries, breweries, distilleries, nightclubs, and lounges and their employees applies to drinking establishments with either no restaurant permit or a low-risk restaurant permit and requires that all customers and employees have at least one dose of the vaccine by October 7 and full vaccination by November 4.

These establishments primarily serve adults and already require patrons to show proof of age; and while children do not usually enter these establishments, children under 12 are exempt from these requirements. Full vaccination verification for services in the indoor portions of restaurants is strongly recommended.

We in public health believe that targeted vaccination mandates are an important strategy for quickly raising vaccination coverage in our county and ending the pandemic, and we applaud our President, our Governor, our Board of Supervisors, our cities and school districts, and business establishments across the county for creating additional safety in spaces where people are intermingling with the use of targeted vaccination mandates. As evidence mounts affirming the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, vaccination mandates are an increasingly important tool to prevent future COVID surges that cause widespread suffering. The modified Health Officer Order aligns with the continued need to reduce risk for transmission and increase vaccination coverage; this is a reasonable path forward that can position us to be better able to break the cycle of surges.

Several resources for businesses have been created to provide guidance in order to prepare for the new Health Officer Order to go in to effect.

How to Provide Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination

There are few easy ways to provide a vaccination record. The easiest way to provide proof is to carry your vaccination card issued by the healthcare provider that administered the vaccine. If you are unsure about carrying your vaccination card or would prefer an electronic version, please see below for other examples.

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vaccine verification
  • CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card (White Card)
  • World Health Organization (WHO) Vaccine Record Card(Yellow Card)
  • A healthcare provider or entity that provides COVID-19 vaccines
  • California Immunization Registry (CAIR2) Vaccination Record.

The person can show the card, a photo of the card as a separate document, or a photo of the card stored on a phone or electronic device.

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Vaccine Verification

 

Issued by:

  • An approved company (e.g. Healthvana and Carbon Health)

For more information, visit the vaccine records page at VaccinateLACounty.com

Where can you get a COVID-19 Vaccine

It is never too late to consider getting a COVID-19 vaccine here in LA County. There are more than 800 locations across the county that offer the COVID-19 vaccine. These sites are made up of pharmacies, private healthcare providers, clinics, community sites, hospitals, and vaccination sites run by Public Health and our partners.

The best place to start when looking to get vaccinated is our website:

www.VaccinateLACounty.com

When you reach our website, there are two easy places to click when looking to find a vaccination site or make an appointment. They are highlighted by the red arrows below.

 

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The LA County Vaccination Webpage has lots of information about the vaccines and how to prepare for your visit on the left side of the page. Each of these sections highlighted by the blue arrow is a drop-down menu below.

When you are ready to find a vaccination site location near you. You can advance to the section highlighted by the red arrow below. You can enter your ZIP CODE, apply a distance filter, search by VACCINE TYPE, LOCATION NAME or DRIVE-THRU capability.

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When you enter your zip code, a list of locations near you will be appear and each location will show how far away it is, what kind vaccine it is offering and whether they accept walk-ins or appointments. You can also filter this selection with a map.

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How to Spot COVID-19 and Vaccine Misinformation

With the use of social media, it is easy to fall prey to COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation and someone who is trying to scam people into giving them money. Public health experts have researched and compiled scientifically accurate information about the COVID-19 vaccines so you can feel safe and protected.

Here are some fast facts on the COVID-19 Vaccines:

  • COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
  • Vaccination is the best way to keep you and your loved ones safe from getting sick, missing work, ending up in the hospital, or dying.
  • The vaccines protect against the Delta variant. They also lower the chances of new and even more dangerous variants appearing.
  • Vaccines are recommended for everyone 12 and older, including people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and people who have had COVID-19.

What are the Side Effects?

  • Vaccine side effects are common and may include sore or red arm, feeling tired, fever, chills, headache or muscle ache. They do not mean that you have COVID-19 since you cannot get COVID from the vaccines. Not everyone will get the side effects.
  • Side effects are a sign that your immune system is building protection. They may affect your ability to do some daily activities but usually go away within a day or two of getting vaccinated.
  • Serious side effects are very rare and are mostly treatable.

Are the vaccines safe?

  • You cannot get COVID-19 from the vaccine. None of the vaccines contain the virus that causes COVID-19.
  • The vaccines were tested on tens of thousands of people, including people of color older adults, and people with medical conditions and found to be safe.
  • Every step that is required to make sure a vaccine is safe and effective was followed.
  • Since December 2020, millions of people have safely received a COVID-19 vaccine.
  • There is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccination causes fertility problems in men and women. All the information we have on pregnancy indicates that the vaccines are safe for those wanting to get pregnant and those already pregnant. Scientists continue monitoirng COVID-19 vaccines carefully for safety concerns and share what they learn.

Public Health has put together some helpful guides to help you avoid misinformation and have meaningful and productive conversations with those who may have fallen victim to misinformation.

Our website also includes a section with resources on each brand of vaccine available in the United States. These resources are available in multiple languages.

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